Accidentally In Love
by Helena Cavendish
Summary: Watch how Harry and Luna fall in love, Hermione and Ron, and possibly Draco and... Pansy Parkinson! Love comes to Hogwarts this season, in a funny and light-hearted way.
1. Default Chapter

**Accidentally In Love**  
PROLOGUE

_"And love is a wonderful, inexplicable thing – trouble is, you're never really quite able to pin it down. It takes over the mind completely, of both the willing and unwilling. It may strike you anywhere, anyway, anytime. Love is all around! So – "_  
  
The television flickered a little as Dudley hit the little red button on the remote control.  
  
"Load of bull!" The round boy muttered under his breath and marched noisily up the stairs, still cursing about the lack of quality programs on TV. "Love is all around!" He mimicked the narrator in an annoyingly high- pitched voice, rolling his eyes. "I'll show 'em! Love is all around! Indeed!"  
  
With this final light put out, Privet Drive entered into a state of slumber, and all were asleep save one – a somewhat skinny, bespectacled boy with remarkably messy hair still lay on the lawn of No. 4, staring into the brilliant night sky.  
  
"Love..." Harry murmured softly to himself. His face was sad, and his brows furrowed together a little as some memory spurted through his mind. His chest tightened. "I need some sleep."  
  
He got up and, with the silence and agility of a skilled cat, admitted himself into the house, and into his room.  
  
_Sirius was dead..._

---  
  
"Happy Deathday, dearie!" Mr. Lovegood spoke cheerfully to a somewhat dreary looking grave. Moss and weeds had attached themselves to the stone, and underneath the grime one had to look closely to see the engraved words:  
  
_"Beloved wife and mother."_  
  
"Well – been a long time eh, darlin? You've been gone almost a decade now. You don't have anything to worry about, our Luna's growin' up just fine and beautiful, ain't ya Luna?" Mr. Lovegood gave Luna a little nudge.  
  
"Yes mother," Luna said in an impatient voice, as if the manner of her growing up was trivial and unimportant. "How are you in the beyond?" She continued in a dreamy voice. All was silent for a moment, before she nodded her head in understanding. "I'm glad to hear that. But do come visit me often still, I haven't been seeing you very much."  
  
Mr. Lovegood smiled wryly as his daughter continued to converse with someone he couldn't hear and couldn't see. So much like her mother... Luna's flyaway blonde hair that fell about her pale face, and a pair of dreamy, empty blue eyes staring into nothingness. The resemblance was so strong.  
  
He ruffled her hair lovingly and put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Can you really see her, Luna?"  
  
"She's right here."  
  
"Well that's, uh, good! Tell her I love her, won't ya? And I've been missing havin' her around and all that."  
  
Luna looked up at her father, frowning.  
  
"She knows. I don't have to tell her."  
  
"Oh, uh, right! Of course she knows." Mr. Lovegood said, smiling, and then continued somewhat sadly, "I only hoped I said it enough."

---

Ron Weasely stared transfixed on the television screen in horror.  
  
The haunting, melancholic words seemed to echo throughout the Grangers' living room.  
  
_"I'll never let go, Jack, I'll never let go..."_  
  
"He's going to die!" He exclaimed, mortified at the idea, and sniffing a little. "No, don't let go – oh! So sad!"  
  
Hermione turned to look at Ron. "Ron," She said impatiently, "It's just a film."  
  
Ron recovered a little, indignant. "It isn't JUST a film!" He retorted. "It's a film about –"  
  
"– a ship." Hermione cut him short. "It's a film about a ship, Ron, that isn't even historically accurate! Like the part where – "  
  
"It's a film about love, Hermione. God, how thick can you get?"  
  
At the mention of the "L" word, the quarreling duo fell quiet, both a little red. The silence between them grew thick, and they were suddenly very aware of an extremely noisy non-existent gust of wind.  
  
"Well," Ron began awkwardly. "They did name the film _Titanic_ – "  
  
"Oh yes, they did." Hermione replied quickly, thankful for the silence to be broken.  
  
"So, uh, this Titanic was a ship, then?" Ron asked stupidly.  
  
"Yes, it was a ship, a huge ship."  
  
Ron's thought raced furiously for something intelligent to say.  
  
"So I suppose it sank?" He blurted out desperately.  
  
"Yes, just like in the film."  
  
"Well, uh, people drowning and all that, can't possibly be a l – "He stopped, struggling to say the dreaded L word. "lo – "  
  
"I'm going to bed now." Hermione said hurriedly.  
  
"Yea, me too." Ron replied, relieved.  
  
Once safely inside the guest room of the Grangers', Ron set out to write a letter to Harry:  
  
_Dear Harry,  
  
How have you been? I'm over at Hermione's – sorry you couldn't join us. Stupid Dursleys. But it's just as well that you're not here, you won't believe how boring it is, having Hermione rambling on about random facts all day. I mean, who could care less about the history of Gringotts? Honestly!_  
  
...

---

"Draco dear," Mrs. Malfoy called in a drawling voice, "a letter for you." She pointed at a pink envelope on the table.  
  
"From Hogwarts?" Draco Malfoy asked lazily, stretching himself to full comfort on the soft couch. "Just open it and read it to me mum."  
  
"Of course, Draco honey. Well, it says: _Dearest Draco, I just wanted to remind you that I love you, and_ – "  
  
The world seemed to stop for a few seconds. The wind stopped blowing, the damned mosquito buzzing around him froze, the radio stopped playing, and, well, the world just stopped, in general. Draco blinked.  
  
Then it started moving again.  
  
"What the?" Draco blurted out incredulously. "Who is that?!"  
  
"– _I think you're the cutest. I love your slick blonde hair_ – "Mrs. Malfoy continued.  
  
"Oh, STOP, mum." Draco groaned, his arrogant face twisted in a mixture of disgust and surprise.  
  
"_Yours forever, your P.P._ Now _who_ is this P.P., Draco?" Mrs. Malfoy peered at him through curious eyes.  
  
"A stupid girl." He replied, rolling his eyes a little. "She has fine taste though. After all, _I_ am the single most attractive guy in school." He continued, satisfied with himself.  
  
"Yes, and attractive guys should find themselves attractive girlfriends – this P.P., how is she?" She asked protectively.  
  
Draco shivered in disgust. "I don't fancy her in the least."  
  
"Well, love will catch up with you one day, and – "  
  
"_Right_." Draco said sarcastically. "I'm going to go ride my Nimbus now – tell dad I want a Firebolt, won't you? That _Potter_ has one."

---

Harry stared at the ceiling, blinking. The night was wearing away but his faculties were still quite awake, thinking about things – about Sirius, about Cho...  
  
And then he remembered what Luna had said, that evening at the corridor.  
  
_"Oh, come on. You heard them, just behind the veil, didn't you? In that room with the archway. They were just lurking out of sight, that's all. You heard them."_  
  
Although he didn't fully understand, her words were comforting, like an only hope when all else had despaired.  
  
He remembered something Dumbledore said: _"The ones who love us never really leave us."_  
  
And then he understood. Love transcends everything – even life and death, and love, really, is all around.

---

**A/N:** Not much going on, it's just a prologue – however I hope it was enjoyable enough for you to continue reading beyond this chapter. My aim for this fic is basically for each of the characters to realize love – but definitely not in the cheesy, fluffy kind of way.  
  
It will be a light-hearted fic about love – that means no dramatic Romeo & Juliet tragedies or whatever. I was greatly inspired by the movie Love, Actually, so that about sums up what you can expect!  
  
Will update soon.  
  
Cheers, 

Helena


	2. At the train station

**Accidentally In Love**  
  
CHAPTER ONE:  
  
"Ah – there they are!" Mr. Weasley spied out the Grangers from the sea of people at the train station. Not that it was hard – not many ordinary folk lingered idly around a place as random as one between Platforms 9 and 10, or any other place for that matter. The train station was always full of movement and buzz.  
  
"So _nice_ to meet you again." Said Mr. Weasley emphatically as he extended a firm handshake to Mr. and Mrs. Granger. Muggles! Always so fascinating. "Has Ron been behaving? Hasn't given you any, uh, trouble I hope?"  
  
"Oh, your boy's very well-behaved." Mrs. Granger replied politely, vaguely remembering how the freckled, red-haired boy had given half the mall a shock when he yelled through the "fellytone" – which really was Mr. Granger's mobile phone. She smiled. "No trouble at all, Mr. Weasely."  
  
Mr. Granger gave a pronounced cough at this point – clearly both husband and wife shared the same thoughts.  
  
"Oh – is that a _fellytone_?" Mr. Weasley narrowed his eyes at Mr. Granger's Nokia mobile and asked in wonder. "It's curiously small! From all the ones I've seen, that is. Is that a new invention?"  
  
"Well, it's a mobile phone, actually – "Mr. Granger replied hastily.  
  
"May I have a look at it?" Came the eager request.  
  
"Uh, sure – "  
  
While Mr. Weasely fiddled excitedly with the gadget, Mrs. Weasley herded the children and quickly ran through a list of things in her mind.  
  
"School books? Pets? Clothes?"  
  
"Yes mum, we got them." Ginny replied exasperatedly.  
  
"And you, Ron? Hermione?" She turned her protective glance to the both of them. They nodded.  
  
"Right... well you just stay here while I – "  
  
"HELLO! HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" A loud voice boomed and echoed across the station.  
  
Hermione jumped and clutched Ron's arm instinctively, and in that few seconds Ron felt his face burning right up to the ends of his flaming red hair. He wondered vaguely if he looked more like a tomato or an apple, and then decided there wasn't really any difference.  
  
Hermione turned to look at where the commotion came from, then relaxed and laughed a little when she saw it was just Mr. Weasley bellowing, with effort, into her father's mobile phone.  
  
"That's how you used to use the telephone, Ron." Hermione said, laughing.  
  
"Well – I know now, don't I?" He replied, scratching his head a little sheepishly. After that day at the mall, Hermione had insisted on teaching him how to use the felly – _telephone_ – thingy.  
  
Apparently you were just supposed to sorta talk normally to the person over at the other end, and there was no need for yelling. But he still didn't quite understand. What if the person was all the way in Egypt, in the middle of some mummy crypt, like his brother Bill? Surely a little, uh, volume would be needed. Of course Hermione had mentioned something about fibres and wafers, but the thing certainly didn't seem to comprise of edible parts, Hermione was talking nonsense as usual... Like what she had said about Krum being charming and all that... Nonsense...

"... the Crumpled-Horned Snorkacks are amazing creatures, really. Daddy and I were in Sweden and..."  
  
Ginny fought hard to suppress a giggle, making it hard for her to have an intelligible response. She had wandered from her mother and now found herself in a one-way conversation with Luna Lovegood. Luna had on white earrings that rather looked like turnips; Ginny suspected that it came in a set, along with the radish-like earrings. Her hair was also ornamented with various animal-shaped (looked like it) hairpins.  
  
"You may not believe me," Luna continued coldly, "but just wait till you read all about it in this month's _The Quibbler_."  
  
With that concluded Luna strode away haughtily, leaving Ginny to wonder if she had been giggling rather obviously, and if Luna was offended. But surely, Luna was used to this sort of thing by now...  
  
"Happy now, aren't you?" Came a cold sneer from behind. She recognized the voice at once.  
  
"Malfoy." She turned and met his icy glare.  
  
Draco Malfoy's blonde hair was no longer carefully slicked up as it was before. It hung casually like a curtain that framed his pale face, and his steely blue eyes looked even more menacing than before. He no longer had that sleek, polished quality – on the contrary he looked rather haggard, like one would if one's father was in Azkaban... or worse, if one had the misfortune of being been pestered all summer by a certain Pansy Parkinson.  
  
"Ginny! Mum's been – "Ron halted at the sight of Draco Malfoy. He opened his mouth instinctively to make a snide remark, then stopped and thought better of it. "– come along, Ginny."  
  
Ginny shot Draco one final look of contempt and turned to leave with Ron. But Draco's gaze never wavered.

Harry fidgeted about in the car restlessly. If his piggish Uncle Vernon continued to drive at turtle pace, there was no way he was going to get to the Hogwarts Express on time.  
  
"Uncle Vernon – "He began desperately.  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"– I'm going to miss the train – "  
  
"Shut up."  
  
"– and if I do, I'm going to have to stay at the house all year – "He said, getting angrier.  
  
"I said shut up. If you miss the train, you'll just find another way to get to that ruddy school anyway – "  
  
"– _and_ if you don't speed up," Harry continued in a louder voice, taking out his wand from his back pocket, "I'm just going to have to hex you."  
  
Uncle Vernon squinted at Harry through the rear mirror, his beady eyes reduced to slits. "You're not allowed to do magic," he said as a satisfied smile crept across his face. "and I shall drive as fast – or _slow_ – as I like!"  
  
What Uncle Vernon said was true – Harry was still one year away from being of age to do magic outside of school. He fell silent.  
  
CRACK.  
  
"No, he can't – "came a female voice.  
  
"No, sir, no he can't!" Exclaimed Uncle Vernon in fervent agreement, before realizing that a young lady had just appeared in his car out of thin air. "Wha - ?"  
  
"But I can." She said with a grin.  
  
Ten minutes later, Harry was speeding down the train station with a hooting Hedwig as her cage rattled wildly in the trolley.  
  
"Well, here we are." Said Tonks cheerily upon reaching the magical barrier to Platform 9 ¾.  
  
"Thanks." Harry beamed at her with appreciation, noticing that her hair was a mild brown today.  
  
"Anytime!" Tonks replied, then bent down and whispered in his ear, "The rest of the Guard had about ten million messages for you, especially Moody – " she grimaced as she remembered, "– but basically it boils down to this: be good." She winked.  
  
"Hullo, Harry." Came a dreamy voice.  
  
Harry spun round. "Oh, uhh, hi. Tonks – Loony, Loony – Tonks." He introduced hastily. He wanted to disappear immediately; Luna Lovegood always had this... strange effect on him.  
  
Tonks raised an eyebrow inquiringly. "_Loony_?"  
  
"It's _Luna_, thanks." Luna corrected coolly. "And hi."  
  
"Of course, I meant Luna." Harry corrected quickly, and rather guiltily.

"D'you suppose Harry made it?" Hermione asked worriedly, peering out of the compartment every 2 seconds. "What if he misses the train?"  
  
"Well, then he gets to put a flying charm on his uncle's car and fly to Hogwarts." Ron mumbled sarcastically, remembering their catastrophic flight during their 2nd year in which they flew straight into the Whomping Willow.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh – no, nothing." Ron replied quickly. "Of course he's going to make it, mum said Tonks went to get him, remember?"  
  
"Yes, but..." Hermione didn't sound any more reassured, still sticking her head out of the compartment. "What if they ran into trouble on the way? Like, you know... Oh." She smiled a little. "Looks like he _did_ run into some trouble."  
  
"What?" Asked Ron curiously, and peered out. Harry was walking down the compartments towards theirs with a rather annoyed look on his face, with Luna trailing behind him.  
  
Ginny, who was also in the same compartment, laughed. "She's probably telling him all about her Crumpled-Horned Snorkacks now – oh, hi Harry." She smiled sweetly as Harry appeared.  
  
"Hi," Said Harry, and took the last empty seat in the compartment.  
  
"Oh – no more seats?" Luna's voice came floating in, dreamy as ever, though Harry thought he detected a very slight hint of disappoint. An odd feeling rose in him – like during the last night of their fifth year, when he learned that Luna's things were being stolen for fun. He supposed it was something like sympathy, but then remembered he himself had just introduced her as Loony.  
  
"Sorry," He said dumbly, himself not being able to conjure an extra seat or something of the sort.  
  
"You can come look for me if you want to talk," She said enigmatically, then shrugged and strolled back down to another compartment that would take her. Something struck Harry as he watched her retreating figure – he did want to talk to her, about... things that 3 of his friends in his compartment wouldn't fully understand. In fact, he'd been bursting to talk to someone about it all summer.  
  
"We were so afraid you wouldn't make it in time, Harry!" Said Hermione, snapping him out of his thoughts.  
  
"It was just you, Hermione." Corrected Ron (Harry smiled at this). Hermione ignored him.  
  
"How come you're so late?" She asked curiously.  
  
"Was just my Uncle Vernon." He answered, and then dived into an animated re- telling of how Tonks had 'rescued' him. Amidst all the laughter and lively conversation on the train, Harry's emotional burden of Sirius's death lifted but only temporarily, and he knew he would have to talk to someone about it soon to keep himself from going... loony.  
  
_How ironic_, he thought, as the train started and bore them all away.


End file.
